The verdict in three sentences
For a UAE group with 900 employees across 6 sites, a custom leave and absence management app costs between USD 50,000 and 95,000 (about AED 185,000 to 350,000), with UAE Labour Law rules, payroll export and WPS-ready data. An HR SaaS billed at USD 7 to 16 per employee per month comes to USD 75,600 to 172,800 a year for the same headcount. Beyond 300 employees, custom is almost always paid back within 2 years against SaaS, as long as the scope is tightly defined.
What the app must cover, and at what price
The classic mistake is to ask for a full HRIS. The real need of a group leaving Excel fits in six modules, deliverable in 3 to 5 months.
| Module | Scope | 2026 range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Requests and approval | Mobile request, manager then HR workflow, email and WhatsApp notifications | 9,000 to 16,000 |
| Legal rules engine | Monthly accrual, probation, public holidays, special leave | 11,000 to 22,000 |
| Absences and sick leave | Medical certificates, pay bands for sick leave | 7,000 to 13,000 |
| Rosters and multi-site | Team calendar, minimum staffing, 6 sites and shift patterns | 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Payroll export | Monthly file to your payroll system, WPS and end-of-service data | 6,000 to 12,000 |
| HR dashboards | Absence rate, leave liability, untaken-leave alerts | 9,000 to 17,000 |
Total: USD 50,000 to 95,000, depending on the number of shift patterns and approval chains. Add 15 to 20% a year for maintenance and hosting, so USD 9,000 to 17,000.
UAE Labour Law rules to configure
This is what justifies custom: global SaaS tools often handle UAE specifics only partially, and every workaround ends in a parallel spreadsheet.
| Rule (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) | Configuration in the app |
|---|---|
| Annual leave: 2 days per month between 6 and 12 months of service, then 30 calendar days a year | Automatic accrual by length of service |
| Sick leave: 90 days a year (15 full pay, 30 half pay, 45 unpaid) | Pay bands tracked per employee, after probation |
| Maternity leave: 60 days (45 full pay, 15 half pay) | Dedicated leave type with dates and pay split |
| Parental leave: 5 working days within 6 months of birth | Dedicated leave type with certificate |
| Bereavement: 5 days for a spouse, 3 days for other close relatives | Leave types with supporting documents |
| Public holidays, Islamic dates set by official announcement | Annual calendar adjusted when dates are confirmed |
Wage payments still go through WPS and your payroll provider: the app prepares the data, it does not replace them. Have the configuration validated by your legal counsel before go-live, especially for free-zone entities with their own regulations.
Custom or SaaS: the 5-year calculation
| Line item | SaaS at USD 7/employee/month | SaaS at USD 16/employee/month | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | USD 5,000 to 10,000 | USD 5,000 to 10,000 | USD 50,000 to 95,000 |
| Annual cost (900 employees) | USD 75,600 | USD 172,800 | USD 9,000 to 17,000 |
| 5-year cost | USD 383,000 to 388,000 | USD 869,000 to 874,000 | USD 95,000 to 180,000 |
| UAE-specific rules | Partial | Partial to good | Complete |
| Data location | Often outside the UAE | Often outside the UAE | Your choice, easing PDPL compliance |
SaaS remains relevant under 150 employees or if you want to start in two weeks. For a 900-person group, the difference runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Mini case study
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Priya, HR director of a facilities management group with 900 employees in Dubai and sites in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain, runs everything in Excel. Two HR coordinators spend half their time on leave, so 1 full-time role at USD 3,250 loaded per month: USD 39,000 a year. Leave-balance errors at exit, which feed into leave encashment (60 leavers a year, 3 days miscalculated on average, USD 120 per day), cost USD 21,600 a year.
Custom app: USD 75,000, maintenance USD 13,000 a year. Gains: USD 60,600 a year, so USD 47,600 net after maintenance. Payback in about 19 months against Excel. Against a SaaS at USD 10 per employee (USD 108,000 a year), the app pays for itself in under 10 months.
FAQ
How long does rollout across 6 sites take?
Allow 3 to 5 months of development, then a site-by-site rollout over 4 to 6 weeks. Migrating leave balances from Excel usually takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Can the app run payroll?
That is not its role. It exports absences, leave and balances to your payroll system each month, removing 1 to 2 days of re-keying per payroll close.
Can employees without a computer use it?
Yes. An installable web app (PWA) lets staff request leave in under a minute, in English and Arabic. A kiosk mode or a supervisor relay covers the 10 to 20% of staff without smartphones.
Where is personal data hosted?
In the UAE or another region of your choice. Hosting locally simplifies compliance with the UAE PDPL and any client or free-zone requirements.
Can we add expenses or performance reviews later?
Yes, the architecture is modular. An additional module usually costs USD 11,000 to 25,000.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, sites and payroll provider: we will price a leave and absence app between USD 50,000 and 95,000 with delivery in under 5 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
